Train Passenger Spit On after Telling Man to Put on a Mask Prior to the Westport Station
Video shows fight on Metro-North train near Westport over mask-wearing
A video taken Wednesday morning shows a fight on a Metro-North train near Westport heading to Grand Central after a younger rider approached another for not wearing a mask.
"I’ve been commuting by train for over a decade and you know, usually get the verbal confrontations, you know, 'Your radio’s too high. Do you have headphones? This is the quiet car,'" says Eric Lewin, who witnessed the incident. "The kid goes, 'I can’t wear a mask because of some type of condition I have,' and, you know, 'I was here first, you can move away if you want to.' One thing led to another, another person got involved, kind of pointed at the sign that said the masks were mandatory for the trip and then the younger individual spit at the guy."
That's when things got violent.
Renee Price with the MTA released a statement that says, "While masks are required when riding our trains, we do not encourage passengers to approach other customers regarding masks. Customers are encouraged to contact an MTA employee or a police officer, who have free masks they can distribute, and are trained in how to handle situations of this nature."
"You know, 99% on the train are wearing them but there are some people who just won't wear it and sometimes the conductor will confront them, you know, tell them this is mandatory. They actually do make announcements at every stop that you must wear one," Lewis says.
If you don't wear a mask, the fine is $100 in Connecticut and $50 in New York. News 12 is told the MTA has handed out 700,000 free masks to riders over the past year.
Per policy, the conductor called police. Officers met the train in Westport, and say the man not wearing a mask ran off.
Officials say the other person involved in the confrontation had cuts to his face and was treated by EMS at the scene.
Morning Car Fire Slows I-95 North
First responders were dispatched to I-95 in the northbound lanes just before 9:30 this morning for the reported car fire on the shoulder prior to Exit 18. Traffic was slowed in the area as the fully-involved fire was put out by firefighters. The scene was cleared about 45 minutes later. Westport Fire Department photo.
Tires, Rims Stolen from Car at Westport Railroad Station; Police Investigating
A vehicle was reported yesterday as having its wheels and rims stolen from it, with the car being found balancing on top of small rocks. The vehicle was parked in Westport Railroad Station’s Lot 3, which is off of Ferry Lane, and parked near the collection of rental vehicles owned by a nearby company. The Westport Police Department said that they received the report yesterday of the theft, and that it’s currently under investigation. Photo by JD. Dworkow for WestportLocal.com.
Motor Vehicle Accident Involving a Bicycle Slows Traffic
A motor vehicle collision was reported just before 1:30 this afternoon in the area of Post Road East and Crescent Road, near Roseville Road. First responders were dispatched to the scene, where a bicyclist has been reported as involved. No information has been released.
Car Fire Closes Right Lane on I-95 North; Heavy Delays Expected
The Connecticut DoT announced that a car fire has closed down the right lane and shoulder on I-95 in the northbound direction, just south of exit 19. No other information has been released. First Responders were dispatched to the scene, with traffic building towards exit 17.
One Sent to Hospital after Midnight Post Road East Accident
A car accident was reported just after midnight as rain continued throughout the community. The vehicle involved lost control and rolled over, striking a nearby utility pole on Post Road East, in front of Walgreens. The driver did not require extrication from the vehicle and was transported to a nearby hospital by Westport EMS. No information on what caused the accident or the extent of any injuries has been released.
Tractor Trailer Gets on the Merritt, Strikes Bridge, Gets Off Merritt
Damage visible to the truck’s trailer as it remained pull-over on Allen Raymond Lane. A tractor trailer got onto Route 15 sometime before 11:00 tonight, subsequently striking one of the overpasses and causing minor damage to the truck’s trailer. The truck was removed from the passenger-car-only parkway, and remained near Exit 41 on Allen Raymond Lane with Connecticut State Police Troop G officers.
“They’re All Okay”; 3 Escape Serious Injury after Overnight Accident, Family Says
The 2017 Dodge Ram pickup truck received heavy damage when it went off the roadway, striking Outpost Pizza on Main Street. The truck remained in a local parking lot this morning, with pieces of the building lodged in the engine compartment. Westport Local Press photo. Reports of a possible motor vehicle accident came in a few minutes before 3:00 this morning, with neighbours describing the noise piercing the night “like a bomb went off.” First responders located the scene at 333 Main Street and discovered a full size pickup truck had struck the corner of the building; its driver and two passengers inside. The storefront was closed by the Building Department and all three escaped serious injuries as Westport woke up this morning wondering, “what happened?”
The vehicle’s passenger compartment, virtually unchanged as airbags deployed. Westport Local Press photo. According to a source familiar with the property, surveillance footage showed the truck traveling north on Canal Street towards Main Street, going off of the roadway, and striking the southern corner of the historic strip mall. Built in 1940, the wood framed structure was destroyed at the point of impact - with the damage being consolidated to the newly-opened Outpost Pizza. Emergency building support beams were put in place to avoid further damage or danger to nearby stores. The Westport Building Department was on-scene overnight, and ultimately deemed the restaurant unsafe for occupancy - with next door’s Merritt Country Store and Coffee An’ permitted to open Sunday morning.
While inspecting the truck in the lot of a local tow truck company later this morning, a family member could be found surveying the wreckage. “They’re all okay” they told The Westport Local Press. “They were all wearing seatbelts. Without seatbelts, this could have been very different.” The driver and two passengers were transported to Norwalk Hospital and were released a short time later. “They’re alright. That’s all I can ask for.”
Despite heavy damage to both the building and the truck’s front-end, the passenger compartment was virtually unchanged. “In the end, it’s a piece of metal” said the family member. “We can be angry at them, but for right now, they walked away from this nearly without a scratch.”
The building was sealed up later this morning, with pieces of the structure and the vehicle remaining in piles on the sidewalk. Photo by Preston Siroka for The Westport Local Press. The boarded-up storefront, Outpost Pizza, is always closed on Sundays so owner Joe Dedovic, of Easton, and his team can enjoy their families and a day of rest - however now it’s unknown when they’ll reopen their doors next. Joining the Westport pizza scene in November 2020 - Joe, his father Tom, and their team have served Italian meals, sandwiches, and salads from their family-owned shop after its renovations. Prior to Outpost Pizza, the space was occupied by Community Dry Cleaners for over three decades.
“We’ll get it fixed up fast” said one of the builders in charge of the original renovations to the structure as they looked over the scene. Due to the location of the truck’s impact on the building, the restaurant’s ovens and kitchen space were saved, however the front-of-house space will require extensive repairs with the building’s supports taken down. “This intersection and corner has always been so dangerous” a nearby business’ employee said as they walked to work.
Construction crews quickly removed debris from the roadway ahead of the opening of nearby businesses. Photo by Dave Matlow for The Westport Local Press. No information on what caused the accident has been released.
However as Westporters pass by the scene today, the words everyone wants to hear can be repeated.
“They’re all okay.”
One Arrested for DUI after Wednesday Afternoon Car Accident
Westport Police Department PhotoWestport Police Department Press ReleaseOn June 23, 2020, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Westport Police officers responded to the area of North Avenue at Cross Highway on a report of a motor vehicle accident. The driver suspected of causing the accident was identified as Dianna Seeler. Ms. Seeler allegedly struck a vehicle after failing to obey a stop sign. When the investigating officer interviewed Ms. Seeler, he noted that she appeared disoriented and had trouble maintaining her balance. Ms. Seeler was transported to the hospital as she sustained minor injuries in the accident.
The investigating officer suspected that Ms. Seeler was driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs so he applied for and was granted a search and seizure warrant to obtain Seeler’s blood alcohol content. The results of the toxicology report showed that Ms. Seeler’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit during the time frame in which the accident occurred. Based upon the officer’s observations the day of the accident as well as the results of the toxicology report, a warrant for Ms. Seeler’s arrest was completed and signed by a Superior Court Judge.
On the evening of June 21, 2021, Ms. Seeler was arrested and per the warrant she was charged with Operating Under the Influence of Drugs/Alcohol and Failure to Obey a STC Stop Sign. She was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to be arraigned at Stamford Superior Court the morning of Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
“Armed and dangerous” Suspect Alert not for Westport
Just before 9:15 this morning, the State of Connecticut sent out a NIXLE warning to users of the system - a phone/email alerting system typically used by the Town of Westport to announce emergencies and road closures. The only distinguishable difference between a state-wide and town alert is that the messages begins with “CTALERT” instead of the usual “WESTPORT PD.”
The alert was meant for residents of Southington, Connecticut, where a large manhunt is taking place for a possibly “armed and dangerous” suspect in the area of Rogers Orchards, a local farm.
Westport is not involved in the case and has no connection to the manhunt